Commonly, large funnel-shaped devices are used as apparatuses for demonstrating the principles of gravitational force and centrifugal force. When a circular or spherical object is launched tangentially from a guiding track on to an inner surface (i.e. a rolling surface) of the funnel-shaped device, the object gathers velocity during its descent along the guide path and the centrifugal force gathered thereby causes the object to roll along the inner surface of the device. At the same time, the gravitational force acts upon the rolling object, causing the object to roll downwards and inwards in a spiral path on the inner surface of the device, and ultimately, to drop out of the device. During the descent of the object along the inner surface of the funnel-shaped device, the object gathers velocity before exiting out of the narrow terminus of the funnel-shaped device. Such apparatuses are useful in teaching the basic principles of science to students and offer elements of entertainment and interactivity in the students' learning process.
Based on the same principles, “Wishing Wells” and “Coin Funnels” have also been devised and utilized for a plurality of reasons, such as fundraising purposes, amusement games, and the like. Such apparatuses may be installed in shopping malls, hospitals, museums, theaters, and retail stores, and other environments with pedestrian traffic to induce such pedestrians to deposit and deliver coinage into the apparatuses.
Such apparatuses generally have a guiding launch track for launching the circular or spherical objects onto a smooth trackless rolling surface. Various configurations of guiding launch tracks may be found in the prior art for launching the circular or spherical objects onto the rolling surface. U.S. Pat. No. 433,736 to Lockwood discloses a toy bank having a spiral ramp of several coils leading to a slot in the top of a drum-like base or container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,928 to Geiser discloses a toy for use with marbles, including an upper flat circular pan with a feed groove around its periphery leading to a tubular generally vertical track that discharges into a tangential extension of the top of an inverted conical base, so the marbles circle the base in decreasing circles an exit through a central bottom hole into a separate pan-like container.
When used for the purpose of amusement, the person playing the game may want the circular or spherical object dropped in the funnel-shaped device to remain rolling in the funnel as long as possible. This necessitates that the object utilize the maximum rolling surface available on the inner surface of the funnel-shaped device. U.S. Pat. No. Des 320,299 to Beiter discloses a “coin collector” with a guiding path disposed on the rolling surface for enabling a circular object to be launched onto the funnel-shaped device. Such a configuration decreases the rolling surface available for the objects to travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,299 to Aspnes discloses a “Vending Machine with Coin Entertainment” having a coin feed mechanism, in addition to other structural configurations, that drops the coin into a main chute and finally onto trackless and endless structure or vortex structure where the coin rolls in a spiral. This patent does not discuss the available rolling surface of the vortex structure for the coin to travel in a spiral path.
The available arts in the current domain have in common launch ramps that are mounted directly on the funnel surface, thereby limiting the available rolling surface to the area between the launch ramps. Therefore, the available arts are mostly silent in addressing the benefit of utilizing the maximum rolling surface for the swirling circular or spherical objects. Also, with the mounting of the launch ramps directly on the surface of the funnel, said ramps block the view of the coins rolling around the funnel surface. Moreover, the launch ramps in the prior art have uniformly sloped guiding track requiring longer launch ramps for exiting the coins at desired speed and angle. Such longer ramps require more material, resulting in higher manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an amusement or collection device capable of providing a maximum rolling surface for such objects, and a more open view of such objects, while at the same time avoiding the complexities of configuration, manufacturing and assembly to provide an easy-to-use and inexpensive device.